The Paloma: Deus ex Machina’s Husqvarna FE 450 Baja 1000 race bike

Held on Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula since 1962, the Baja 1000 is a desert race like no other. As mythical as it is grueling, finishing it requires skill, willpower, and a little luck; finishing on the podium, even more so.

You’re looking at the motorcycle that took second place in last year’s running of the Baja 1000. Built and fielded by a team from Deus ex Machina’s American operation, it’s a well-prepped Husqvarna FE 450 with a livery that’s all fun—and a parts-spec that’s all business. Affectionately nicknamed ‘The Paloma,’ the bike not only boasts a second-place finish in the Pro Moto Unlimited class of the Baja 1000, but it also bagged second overall in the 2023 World Desert Championship.

The man responsible for the build was Ciaran Naran, who shared race duties with Forrest Minchinton, Nick Lapaglia, and Derek Asserbauer. A previous Baja 1000 winner, Ciaran’s been racing dirt bikes since he was eight years old—and he’s figured out how to make them faster along the way. Working out of Deus’ Venice Beach workshop, Ciaran put countless late nights into turning the 2023-model Husqvarna FE 450 Heritage Edition into this wily, silver medal-winning desert sled.

Even in stock form, the Husqvarna FE 450 is a beast. Thanks to its chromoly frame and carbon fiber subframe, it weighs a paltry 108.3 kilos [238.8 lbs] dry—which is no match for its punchy four-stroke motor. Add a smorgasbord of high-end parts, and you have the beginnings of a race-winning machine.

Deus’ Husky is galaxies away from its stock trim though, with a build sheet that would make any aspiring desert racer jealous. The mods are not as much about making the bike go faster, as they are about making it go fast for longer. Ciaran and his teammates piloted the Husky to a finishing time of 26 hours and 50 minutes—that’s a lot of punishment for both man and machine.

The engine benefits from a 44 mm Keihin throttle body and a Vortex ignition, plus hours of dyno testing. There’s also a Husqvarna factory carbon fiber air filter intake boot, and a transmission prepped by the gearbox specialists at Xtrac. Other add-ons include Dirt Tricks sprockets, a DID chain, and an FMF exhaust muffler.

The cockpit features Renthal Twinwall handlebars with a Motion Pro throttle tube, ODI grips, and KTM hand guards. The brake and clutch perches are Brembo parts, upgraded with CNC-machined levers. Elsewhere, Ciaran installed a Rekluse clutch cover and hydraulic actuator.

The stock Husqvarna headlight nacelle sits in front of the bars, fitted with a MotoMinded headlight housing, and a Baja Designs XL80 headlight. When the sun goes down, that setup gets swapped for a custom-built twin-light arrangement.

AHM Factory Services overhauled and upgraded the Husky’s WP Suspension forks and shock, and Ciaran added an Öhlins steering damper to the mix. The yokes are WP factory 24 mm offset units, and the swingarm comes from a KTM 450 SX-F.

Moving to the wheels, Deus built a new set with DID DirtStar rims (although it’s pictured with an alternate set of Excel wheels in some of these photos). Custom-made wheel spacers and a modified Honda rear axle enable speedy wheel changes. The tires are Dunlop AT81s, with Nitromouse foam inner tubes inside.

Brembo brake calipers grip Dirt Tricks brake discs, with a Hunt Racing Products ‘shark fin’ to keep rocks away from the rear brake. Other protective parts include Acerbis frame guards and an Akrapovič skid plate. In between all the bolt-ons, you’ll find a handful of clever custom 3D-printed parts.

A larger-than-stock IMS fuel tank maximizes the FE 450’s range, while a modified Machine Works dry break filler enables faster pit stops. The seat uses a factory carbon-reinforced seat pan, Guts Racing foam, and a white suede cover from Thrill Seekers. Ultra-sharp foot pegs from IMS keep the riders’ feet where they need to be.

The Husqvarna FE 450 Heritage Edition comes with a fetching white frame, and a white, yellow, and blue livery that tips its hat to Husqvarna’s vintage colors. It’s an attractive design, but Deus is Deus, and the Baja 1000 is the Baja 1000—so something special was in order.

Deus tapped the legendary Nicolai Sclater, better known as Ornamental Conifer, to create a one-of-a-kind livery for their desert racer. As usual, he knocked it way out of the park.

Now that the Husky has done its job—and done it well—Deus is letting it go to the highest bidder. Ciaran has refreshed it with a new chain, tires, grips, and hand guards, and put it up for auction on Iconic Motorbikes. You’d better be quick though—the auction’s almost over.

We’d bid, but we’re pretty sure we wouldn’t be able to unleash its full potential.

Deus ex Machina | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Jack Fraser

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Work in progress: A peek at the Janus Gryffin 450 scrambler prototype

Mention motorcycle brands and the American Midwest in the same sentence, and a particular Motor Co. springs to mind first. But there’s a smaller company 146 miles away, across Lake Michigan, producing small bikes with big attitudes. They’re called Janus Motorcycles, and this is their latest offering—the Janus Gryffin 450 scrambler.

Based in Goshen, Indiana, Janus Motorcycles specializes in vintage-styled, made-to-order motorcycles. Using engines from the Italian brand SWM, their bikes can be specced with myriad color and accessory options, before being assembled by hand and shipped to their new owners. Only a handful of parts come from external suppliers—the rest are made in-house, or by Janus’ local network of craftsmen, many of which are Amish.

The Janus Gryffin 450 shows off the same scrambler styling as the existing Gryffin 250, but uses the engine from the company’s bigger Halcyon 450 bobber. You’re looking at the prototype build, devoid of any paint and finishings. Janus is in the thick of finalizing development, with the Gryffin 450 expected to go into production in July.

Derived from the single-cylinder donk in the Honda XR400, the 445 cc SWM motor makes around 30 hp. It’s not likely to set any land speed records, but that’s just fine for the Janus team. Their philosophy is building bikes that are not just gorgeous, but approachable too.

In pursuit of that goal, Janus prioritizes weight over power. With its proprietary chassis and bodywork, the Gryffin 450 tips the scales at just 330 pounds [149.7 kilos], making it a bonafide lightweight. So even though it’s not particularly fast, it should be rather fun to ride.

As per Janus’ standard operating procedure, the frame, swingarm, and leading-link front fork are all designed and built by the company and their network. But while we’re used to seeing these parts painted or powder coated, this prototype offers a rare look at the raw craftsmanship.

Visually, the Gryffin design is a throwback to the classic scramblers of the 50s and 60s. A handmade fuel tank and solo seat sit up top, with a kicked-up tail loop abbreviating the rear section. Hand-formed beaded fenders sit at either end, with lighting that recalls the OEM parts of yesteryear.

The Gryffin 450’s wheels feature Excel rims, measuring 21” at the front and 17” at the back. This prototype also wears Dunlop D650 adventure rubber, because the Janus team has been getting it dirty during testing. Ikon supplied the shocks that prop up both ends of the bike, while Brembo sorted out the braking setup.

Scrambler accouterments include tall bars with hand guards, a burly sump guard, and an unapologetic two-into-two exhaust system. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Since the Gryffin (and all of Janus’ other bikes) is made to order, you can customize it to your liking straight from the factory.

You can pick hundreds of combinations of hand-painted colors and designs for the bodywork’s base coat, graphics, and pin-striping. There are various add-ons too, ranging from leather and canvas bag options to a headlight guard, motocross foot pegs, pannier racks, a pillion seat, and a whole bunch more.

According to Janus, they want to give customers the freedom to tweak the Gryffin to suit not only their individual tastes, but their ideal ratio of dirt-to-road riding. “The longer suspension travel, wheel size, lower seat height, and larger fuel tank will be really welcomed by our off-road riders,” says Janus’ senior design engineer, Charlie Hansen-Reed, who led the design on the project.

“And trimming another 30 pounds off our already feather-weight 450 chassis will be a huge bonus for trailering, van-lifers, and for any adventuresome rider’s peace of mind and confidence.”

Even though the Janus Gryffin 450 is presented here unfinished, it still has the same disarming charm that we’ve come to expect from the plucky American company. If you simply must have one, Janus’ order book is officially open, with prices starting at $13,495 (depending on how you spec it). $2,995 reserves your spot in the build queue—and if you book yours in the next 30 days, it’ll be part of a limited and numbered ‘First Edition’ run that comes with a few extra bits.

For our money, we’d kit it with enough protective parts to enable reckless off-road shenanigans, and wrap it in a vintage motocross yellow.

Janus Gryffin 450 | Janus Motorcycles on Facebook | Instagram | Images by Mark Foster

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Cult classic: A Harley XR1200 street tracker from Taiwan

There must be something in the water, because this is the second Harley XR1200 street tracker that’s popped up on our radar in as many weeks. We’re not complaining though. Even though it wasn’t a big sales hit, we’re fans of Harley-Davidson’s sportiest Sportster—mainly because it was such a hoot to ride.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why the Harley XR1200 didn’t stick around longer, but we have our theories. One is that the market simply wasn’t ready to accept a Harley that actually handled well. The other is that the styling was a mish-mash of too many influences.

The Motor Co. pitched the XR1200 as a flat tracker for the street—and gave it an XR750-inspired livery and upright seating position to match. But the XR’s tail section and goofy split-spoke wheels felt like 90s sportbike throwbacks. Still, it was nothing if not bold, and its awkwardness was arguably part of its charm.

This custom Harley XR1200 comes from Fever—a custom workshop based in Taoyuan City, just outside of Taipei in Taiwan. Their take on this cult classic is refreshing because it pushes the styling in one clear direction instead of trying to ride the line between multiple genres.

The bike’s owner is a big XR fan, so he initially just wanted Fever to tweak the shape of the fuel tank. But the more they went back and forth on ideas, the more the idea of building a modernized street tracker came to the fore.

High on the list of priorities was fixing the stock bike’s disproportionate (and disjointed) tank and tail combo. Fever scrapped the OEM parts altogether, opting instead to hammer out a new tank and tail from sheet metal. Not only does the tail section now sport a far more distinctive flat track aesthetic, but the whole arrangement feels more cohesive too.

The slight dip between the tank and tail recalls the XR’s original silhouette, but the two parts now flow neatly into each other. Fever designed the tailpiece to work with the stock oil tank and side cover, and built a hidden (and removable) subframe to mount it to.

An LED taillight and custom-made license plate mount sit at the back, with a slim race-style seat pad perched up top. Further forward, a flush-mount filler cap keeps the fuel tank looking tidy.

The XR’s wheels had to go, so Fever replaced them with new alloy units in a classic nine-spoke design. Measuring 18” at the front and 17” out back, they’re shod with Shinko Adventure Trail tires. A new set of Racing Bros shocks props up the rear.

Keen eyes will notice that the Harley XR1200’s unique downdraught air intake is gone. The job called for a more traditional Sportster look, so Fever converted the bike from fuel-injected to carburetted, leaving them free to install a classic side-mounted air cleaner.

The two-into-two exhaust system is new—handmade from front to back. Fever worked tighter bends into the header design for a more aggressive look, and built a new heat shield to protect the rider’s foot from the twin reverse cone mufflers. A tidy sump guard underscores the bike.

The cockpit wears a new set of flat track-style handlebars, fitted with Brembo controls, micro switches, and under-slung mirrors. The OEM headlight and its signature cowl are both still in play.

An incredibly well-judged black, silver, yellow, and white livery finishes this handsome Harley XR1200 street tracker off nicely and displays Fever’s exquisite taste and sharp eye. We’re left with just one question; is this the motorcycle that Harley-Davidson should have built sixteen years ago?

Fever Taiwan | Images by Dong Lin

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The Mighty Six: A brutal custom Honda CBX from The Netherlands

An email commissioning a new project is good news for any custom motorcycle workshop. But the crew at Moto Adonis in The Netherlands was particularly giddy when their latest project hit their inbox. The brief read like most others, save for one key detail—the client specifically requested a custom Honda CBX 1000.

Like many of us, Moto Adonis co-owners Arthur Renkema and Job Leussink idolize the mighty CBX. “It’s undoubtedly one of the most legendary machines ever built,” Job proclaims. “The sound of this beastly inline six-cylinder engine, skillfully crafted by Honda masters, is more than just noise; it’s a symphony of brute force that resonates as pure rebellion on two wheels.”

Despite their love for this 80s icon, Moto Adonis had no intention of simply creating a tidy Honda CBX 1000 restomod. “The bike was craving a contemporary, rugged touch,” explains Job. “And we didn’t just add a hint; no, we went all-out.”

Paying tribute to the CBX’s legacy, Arthur and Job kept the bike’s OEM fuel tank—but everything else was fair game. The guys set out to modernize the bike, while stripping back as much as they could to highlight its gargantuan engine. While we wouldn’t go as far as calling a six-cylinder superbike from the 80s ‘lithe,’ this CBX is one of the leanest we’ve seen.

Moto Adonis started by fine-tuning the classic Honda’s chassis. The stock 19F/18R Comstar wheels were tossed in favor of a burly set of 17” hoops from Kineo, now shod with Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp rubber.

The front end wears a set of upside-down forks from Öhlins, with twin Brembo brake calipers in play. Out back, the CBX’s twin-shock suspension has been taken out of the equation. Instead, the bike now employs an Öhlins mono-shock, hooked up to the single-sided swingarm from a Ducati Monster S4R (a mod that reportedly took forever to get right).

Take a closer look, and you’ll spot custom linkages tucked into the bespoke subframe. Moto Adonis fabricated an aluminum tail cowl to sit behind the solo seat, taking care to give it a blocky appearance that complements the classic CBX fuel tank. Marcel Miller finished the seat off with a sporty leather cover.

If you’re looking for the taillight and license plate, they’re way out back, attached to a custom-made bracket that bolts to the swingarm.

Having gone down the rabbit hole with the chassis mods, Moto Adonis wasn’t about to skimp on the engine work. Luckily, help wasn’t too far away. “We discovered that the biggest six-cylinder guru in Europe happens to be just 25 km [16 miles] away,” says Job.

“Bert from SixCenter helped us fully overhaul the engine, down to every last bolt. Some things are better left to the specialists!”

Equally important was giving the Honda CBX 1000 a soundtrack worthy of it. Moto Adonis and their client agreed that a six-into-six exhaust system was the only way to go, so the team made it happen. Three headers run down the side of each bike, before kinking at the swingarm and exiting via a set of mufflers from MAD Exhausts.

After converting the clutch to a hydraulic system, Arthur and Job fitted the handlebars with brake and clutch master cylinders from Brembo. An LED headlight sits up front, with not one, but two Motogadget dials behind it—a fantastic throwback to the distinct style of the 80s. The bars also sport micro switches, and Motogadget grips, bar-end turn signals, and mirrors, while the bike’s wiring has been redone with a Motogadget control box.

The bike’s new livery is as simple as it is befitting this two-wheeled hot rod. Metallic blue dominates the bodywork, with a black stripe, flanked by gold pinstripes, running front to back. It’s the perfect finish for this brutal masterpiece.

The only question is whether this custom Honda CBX 1000 rides as good as it looks. “Test riding a custom monster always remains an exciting experience,” says Job. “We’ve built a lot over the years—but this fully-customized CBX, with its Öhlins suspension and six-in-six exhaust system, sits at the top of our list!”

Moto Adonis | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Martin Hogeboom

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Trickster: A stunt-inspired TVS Apache RTR 310 by Smoked Garage

With new motorcycles getting bigger each year—and, by extension, progressively more expensive—it might just be up to small-capacity bikes to save the industry. But while Western manufacturers like Triumph and Harley-Davidson have only just started dipping their toes into these waters, companies in the East have made small bikes their bread and butter.

TVS Motor Company doesn’t produce a single bike over 312 cc. But they’re India’s third-largest motorcycle manufacturer, sell around three million units annually, and own Norton. They also helped develop the BMW 310 R and 310 GS—and then put that same motor in the TVS Apache RTR 310.

A sibling to the fully-faired RR 310 sportbike, the TVS Apache RTR 310 is a naked roadster with frenetic streetfighter styling. Its 312 cc single-cylinder mill makes 35 hp and 27.8 Nm, and it features a six-speed transmission, a slipper clutch, ABS, multiple rider modes, and a 5” TFT display. Optional extras include everything from fully adjustable suspension and tire pressure monitors to a full array of IMU-controlled electronic rider aids.

Aesthetically, the TVS Apache RTR 310 is pitched squarely at the young street culture crowd. So when Smoked Garage was commissioned to customize an RTR 310, they leaned into that concept, heavily.

Taking inspiration from stunt motorcycles, the Indonesian custom shop redesigned the RTR with an insectoid look that would make KTM’s designers blush, and nicknamed it the ‘Trickster.’

The first step was to strip the donor bike down to its bones—exposing its trellis main frame and sculpted aluminum subframe. Smoked used modeling clay to work out the RTR’s all-new bodywork, before hand-shaping the final parts out of aluminum.

A new six-liter [1.6-gallon] fuel tank forms the centerpiece of the build, with a ‘hollow’ rear section that adds visual and physical lightness. Two sculpted side panels flank the front of the tank, creating just the right amount of forward bulk to juxtapose the scooped knee indents. Up top, the gas cap sits in a recessed section of the tank, with the bike’s TFT display relocated to just in front of it, leaving the cockpit slightly less cluttered.

A series of side panels and radiator shrouds guide the eye downwards, where a custom-made spoiler abbreviates the bottom section of the RTR. Each part complements the next, giving the whole arrangement a Transformer-esque vibe.

The rear half of the bike is so well put together that it feels like an OEM design. A blank-off plate under the tank’s open section wraps neatly around the front edge of the factory subframe, while the back edge of the subframe tucks into the handmade tailpiece. A skinny, three-piece saddle sits up top.

The tail is capped off with a rear crash bar and a pair of foot pegs, for standing wheelies and other shenanigans. A pair of LED tail lights is embedded out back, tucked up against the bike’s custom-made under-seat muffler.

Moving to the front, Smoked fabricated a one-piece fork guard and brace. Higher up, an LED headlight sits behind a mesh-lined nacelle. New risers and bars finish off the cockpit, matched to the RTR’s stock controls.

Keen eyes will also spot an additional brake lever on the left side of the bars. It controls a second rear brake caliper, making it possible to control wheelies when your feet aren’t on the pegs. Smoked also upgraded the front wheel with a second disc brake, using Tokico calipers all around.

The Trickster’s yellow and silver livery takes cues from one of the stock bike’s colorways and extends to parts like the trellis frame and brake calipers. Just like the RTR’s new bodywork, it’s a bold choice—but one that will likely pay off, given the bike’s target audience.

Smoked Garage | Facebook | Instagram

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Speed Read: A nipped and tucked Triumph Bobber and more

The Triumph Bobber is one of our favorite modern classics—but it could do with having some of its fat trimmed. Sam Wheeler at Motone shows us how, while a garage builder sticks a Triumph Thunderbird motor into a Sprint chassis to build a wild street tracker. On the news front, we look at the 2024 Harley-Davidson CVO Pan America and the new Ducati Desmo450 MX motocrosser.

Triumph Bobber by Motone What would you do if you had unprecedented access to some of the best aftermarket Triumph parts on the market, and your daily runner was a bone-stock Triumph Bobber? Yeah, we thought so.

Sam Wheeler is the proprietor of the UK-based parts company Motone. He picked the Triumph Bobber up a few years ago, when it first came out, as a development platform for new parts. “I liked it so much that it became my daily for a few years, while only partly being used for development,” he tells us.

Before long, the gaudy factory bits became too much for Sam to deal with. So he got to work changing things up—picking parts from the existing Motone catalog while designing new ones for the bike.

The rear light cluster was replaced with a set of Motone ‘Icon’ three-in-one taillights, fitted to a new steel rear guard. The lights were developed specifically for this bike; the tooling alone cost a fortune, according to Sam. The company’s ‘Cutlass’ chain guard was bolted on too, along with a side-mounted number plate bracket.

The seat is another new part from Motone. Sam wanted a nice swooping chopper-style saddle, so he developed one with a 4 mm stamped steel pan. The ‘Ventura’ side covers were made from injected ABS plastic, and feature neat vents that match the fins on the cylinders and the beautiful ribbed crankcase covers.

The engine is also adorned with a new exhaust. Made from pie-cut stainless steel sections with integrated dB killers, they are finished with Webco-style big fin exhaust clamps for a bit of 70s fizz. There’s a shorty front guard, some tasty ‘up-and-over’ bar risers, a Monza-style fuel cap, and so much more.

Sam and the Motone team took the time to improve many different parts, all while using the bike to develop those same parts for mass production. It’s a strictly business-first way of bike building and a fantastic way of having your cake and eating it, too. [Motone]

2024 Harley-Davidson CVO Pan America The Bar and Shield has just pulled the covers off its latest line of touring machines. Amongst them is the Harley-Davidson CVO Pan America—an upgraded version of the Pan America adventure bike with an eye-watering price tag.

Harley-Davidson has been producing CVO (Custom Vehicle Operations) models for 25 years, but this is the first time they’ve applied their touch to the Pan America. As with all CVO editions, the most obvious change is the paint job. Finished in ‘Legendary Orange with Raven Metallic and Atlas Silver,’ the CVO Pan America’s livery is somehow both vintage and modern, and will certainly stand out.

The orange piping on the seat is particularly nice, as are the upgraded grips. A CVO 25th Anniversary plaque lives on the fuel tank console insert, with another small CVO graphic on each side of the engine cases. The wheels are the same tubeless spoked items found on the Pan America Special, and the CVO model gets a beefy bash plate.

The rugged aluminum luggage system was designed in collaboration with SW-Motech and is equipped with H-D and CVO badges. An ‘adventure duffle’ is also included with the CVO Pan Am. It is waterproof, hard-wearing, can hold up to 2,440 cubic inches [40 liters] of stuff, and easily attaches to the bike.

The Revolution Max 1250 engine punches out 150 hp and is accompanied by the standard Pan America semi-active suspension system, with H-D’s optional adaptive ride height feature pre-installed. You also get an ‘Advanced Daymaker’ adaptive LED headlight, plus additional fog lamps mounted to the new orange crash bars. A Screamin’ Eagle quick-shifter is also installed for clutchless up- and downshifts.

Starting at an MSRP of $28,399, the CVO Pan America is almost $10,000 more than the standard Pan America 1250 Special. Even if you spec a standard model with spoked wheels and adaptive ride height control, the CVO still demands an additional $6,200 premium.

If it were up to us, we’d pick the standard model, throw some soft luggage from our favorite vendor onto the back, and point the front wheel towards the horizon. [More]

Ducati Desmo450 MX Ducati announced their entry into the world of motocross just last year, but they’ve wasted no time in showing us the bike that Antonio Cairoli and Alessandro Lupino will be competing with in 2024. Get a load of the Ducati Desmo450 MX.

Ducati is scant on the technical details, but there’s a lot we can glean from the official photos. For starters, they have knobbly tires and are painted that iconic shade of Ducati red. There’s Showa suspension front and rear, Galfer brake discs, and a full Akrapovič exhaust.

We see Excel rims, a D.I.D chain, and a Chiaravalli CHT rear sprocket which looks like a piece of fine jewelry, as does the billet engine case. The brake and clutch master cylinders are from Brembo, as are the front and rear calipers.

The race debut for the Desmo450 MX will be in Mantua for the first round of the Italian Motocross Pro Prestige MX1 Championship. The officially-titled Ducati Corse Off-Road team will primarily use the event as a data-gathering exercise—using the time to get to grips with the Desmo450 MX that will go into production in the second half of 2024.

What we don’t know, is whether the engine and chassis are an all-new design from Ducati—or if they’ve bought in tech from elsewhere. But what we do know, is that Ducati are so serious about motocross, that they pulled their MotoGP sporting director, Paolo Ciabatti, to head up the new Ducati Corse Off-Road team.

It’s also encouraging that Ducati has a prototype ready to race so soon after announcing their intentions, rather than teasing the industry for months on end. And now that Ducati and Triumph both have motocross bikes in their catalogs, we’re wondering if more European motorcycle brands will enter the fray. [More]

Triumph 955 street tracker by Chris Forward Neither the Triumph Sprint 900 nor the Thunderbird 900 get much love these days, but one custom builder has just combined them to create one of the wildest street trackers we’ve seen. His name is Chris Forward, and he built this incredible machine in his home garage.

Chris started with a blown 1994 Triumph Sprint, and then sourced a suitable Triumph Thunderbird 900 engine. But before he put the two together, he had Galtec Precision Engineering bore out the cylinders to accept 955 cc Triumph liners, pistons, and cams.

Along with the larger-capacity internals, the engine was upgraded with a custom three-into-one-into-two stainless steel exhaust. This pumps hot air out as fast as the enormous set of Keihin FCR39 carburetors can smash fuel in. (This is certainly not your old man’s Sprint.)

The front forks, yokes, wheel, and brakes are from a Yamaha R1, the latter of which was upgraded with Brembo Goldline calipers. The front guard is carbon fiber and was lifted from a Ducati Monster.

The gorgeous single-sided swingarm and rear wheel came from a Ducati Multistrada, which Chris adapted to fit the Triumph frame. With the hand-made aluminum rear wheel hugger and side-mounted shock absorber setup, it has a seamless OEM look.

The subframe is yet another custom item. It supports a carbon fiber seat unit, that was bonded to a custom-made aluminum fuel tank for a one-piece aesthetic. The seat (made by Lucky Foot Trimmings) perfectly keeps with the flat tracker concept, as does the carbon fiber front numberplate and LED headlight.

Tall, wide bars are bejeweled with Brembo radial master cylinders), a single Daytona Velona speedo, and new grips. Thin LED indicators peek out from behind the front number plate to keep things legal.

With the engine upgraded, the ports flowed, and the head skimmed, Chris now has 110 hp and 91 Nm of torque at the rear wheel. (Removing the exhaust baffle frees up another 6 hp.) With all the weight savings, Chris has knocked the total down to 189 kilos [417 lbs].

Considering that a standard Thunderbird weighs 220 kg [485 lbs] and only pumps out 70 ponies, this should be considerably more fun to ride. Did we mention that it’s quite a looker, too? [Chris Forward Instagram]

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